Stereoscopic image display apparatus with remotely controlled alignment function and method of displaying stereoscopic image using the same

Abstract

A stereoscopic image display apparatus that is capable of being efficiently aligned using a remotely controlled alignment function and a method of displaying a stereoscopic image using the same are disclosed. The stereoscopic image display apparatus includes a polarizing beam splitter for spatially splitting image light emitted by a projector into at least one transmitted beam and at least one reflected beam based on polarized components, at least one modulator for adjusting the transmitted beam and the reflected beam such that the transmitted beam and the reflected beam have different polarization directions when a left image and a right image are projected by the transmitted beam and the reflected beam, an angle adjustment unit for adjusting the position on a screen on which the transmitted beam is projected in response to a first remote control signal, a remote-control alignment type reflecting member for adjusting the path of the reflected beam in response to a second remote control signal such that the reflected beam overlaps the transmitted beam projected on the position on the screen adjusted in response to the first remote control signal in order to form a single image, and a remote controller remotely connected to the angle adjustment unit and the remote-control alignment type reflecting member for transmitting the first remote control signal and the second remote control signal to the angle adjustment unit and the remote-control alignment type reflecting member, respectively.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A stereoscopic image display apparatus comprising:
 a polarizing beam splitter for spatially splitting image light into a transmitted beam and first and second reflected beams based on polarized components; 
 at least one modulator for adjusting the transmitted beam and the first and second reflected beams such that the transmitted beam and the first and second reflected beams have a first polarization direction for a left image and a second polarization direction for a right image; 
 an angle adjustment unit for adjusting a position of the transmitted beam after it is projected; 
 a first remote-control alignment type reflecting member for adjusting a path of the first reflected beam, and a second remote-control alignment type reflecting member for adjusting a path of the second reflected beam; 
 wherein the first and second remote-control alignment type reflecting members are configured to be adjusted such that the first and second reflected beams overlap the projected transmitted beam within a first part and a second part, respectively. 
 
     
     
       2. The stereoscopic image display apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second remote-control alignment type reflecting members each comprise:
 a reflecting member for reflecting the reflected beam; and 
 a motor for adjusting a direction of the reflecting member upward and downward and leftward and rightward in response to a second remote control signal. 
 
     
     
       3. The stereoscopic image display apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the angle adjustment unit comprises a motor for adjusting an upward and downward angle of a main body, comprising the polarizing beam splitter, the modulator, and the first and second remote-control alignment type reflecting members, of the stereoscopic image display apparatus in response to a first remote control signal. 
     
     
       4. The stereoscopic image display apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising a driving unit connected to the motor of the angle adjustment unit and the motors of the first and second remote-control alignment type reflecting members for driving the motor of the angle adjustment unit and the motors of the first and second remote-control alignment type reflecting members in response to the first remote control signal and the second remote control signal, respectively. 
     
     
       5. The stereoscopic image display apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the first reflected beam is reflected upward and the second reflected beam is reflected downward. 
     
     
       6. The stereoscopic image display apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first part and the second part are coupled to each other in order to form a single image. 
 
     
     
       7. The stereoscopic image display apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the second remote control signal controls the first reflected beam and the second reflected beam, image-split from the image light, to be image-coupled to each other when overlapping the projected transmitted beam. 
     
     
       8. The stereoscopic image display apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a camera for checking a state of alignment of the first and second reflected beam with the transmitted beam. 
     
     
       9. The stereoscopic image display apparatus according to  claim 8 , further comprising a remote controller configured to transmit at least one selected from between the first remote control signal and the second remote control signal based on an alignment state checking signal received from the camera. 
     
     
       10. The stereoscopic image display apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the remote controller comprises:
 a first control unit for controlling a start or an end of an operation of transmitting at least one selected from between the first remote control signal and the second remote control signal based on the alignment state checking signal; and 
 a second control unit for controlling the operation of transmitting at least one selected from between the first remote control signal and the second remote control signal based on a worker's determination. 
 
     
     
       11. The stereoscopic image display apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the remote controller is installed in a mobile user device in a form of software. 
     
     
       12. A method of displaying a stereoscopic image comprising:
 spatially splitting image light into a transmitted beam and first and second reflected beams based on polarized components; 
 adjusting the transmitted beam and the first and second reflected beams such that the transmitted beam and the first and second reflected beams have a first polarization direction for left image light and a second polarization direction for right image light; 
 adjusting a position of the transmitted beam after it is projected; 
 adjusting a path of the first reflected beam and a path of the second reflected beam such that the first and second reflected beams overlap the projected transmitted beam within a first part and a second part, respectively. 
 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the step of spatially splitting the image light comprises reflecting the first reflected beam upward and reflecting the second reflected beam downward, the first reflected beam and the second reflected beam being image-split from the image light. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the step of adjusting the first and second reflected beams comprises:
 adjusting the first and second reflected beams such that the first part and the second part are coupled to each other in order to form a single image. 
 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 13 , wherein a second remote control signal controls the first reflected beam and the second reflected beam, image-split from the image light, to be coupled to each other. 
     
     
       16. A stereoscopic imaging apparatus comprising:
 a polarization beam splitter configured to split image light into a transmitted beam and first and second reflected beams based on polarization; 
 at least one modulator configured to adjust the transmitted beam and the first and second reflected beams such that the transmitted beam and the first and second reflected beams have a first polarization state for a left image and a second polarization state for a right image; 
 a first remote-control alignment type reflecting member configured to adjust a path of the first reflected beam, and a second remote-control alignment type reflecting member configured to adjust a path of the second reflected beam; 
 wherein the first and second remote-control alignment type reflecting members are configured to be adjusted such that the first and second reflected beams overlap the transmitted beam within a first part and a second part, respectively. 
 
     
     
       17. The stereoscopic imaging apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the first and second remote-control alignment type reflecting members each comprise:
 a reflecting member for reflecting the reflected beam; and 
 a motor for adjusting a direction of the reflecting member upward and downward and leftward and rightward. 
 
     
     
       18. The stereoscopic imaging apparatus according to  claim 17 , further comprising a driving unit connected to the motors of the first and second remote-control alignment type reflecting members for driving the motors of the first and second remote-control alignment type reflecting members in response to a remote-control signal. 
     
     
       19. The stereoscopic image display apparatus according to  claim 16 , further comprising a camera for checking a state of alignment of the first and second reflected beams with the transmitted beam. 
     
     
       20. The stereoscopic image display apparatus according to  claim 19 , further comprising a remote controller configured to transmit the remote control signal based on an alignment state checking signal received from the camera.